Wrench



U Dec. 25, 12923. I 1,478,532

A. S. FISHER WRENCH Filed July 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwventoz Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,512

, A. S. FISHER WRENCH Filed July 17 1922 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

ANDREW S. FISHER, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF IEO WIL- LIAM H. FISHER, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

WRENCH.

Application filed July 17, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW S. FISHER, citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and btate of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved wrench and seeks, as one of its principal objects, to provide a fiat type wrench having a pair of jaws at eac-h'end thereof and wherein both pairs of jaws may be opened or closed simultaneously.

The invention has as a further object to provide a wrench embodying companion slidably connected jaw members movable transversely upon each other for adjusting the wrench jaws and wherein an adjusting element is confined between said members for movement longitudinally thereof to effect the transverse shifting of the members.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a wrench which will be characterized by structural simplicity and may accordingly be readily operated while, at the same time, the wrench will prove thoroughly efficient in practical use.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved wrench, showing the jaws thereof open,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the jaws closed, 7

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the wrench,

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2,

, Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing the adjusting element of the device.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing a slightly different embodiment of the invention,

Figure 7 is a plan view of .one of the jaw members of the latter embodiment, particularly showing the mounting of'the adjusting element,

Figure 8 is a plan view of the other of the jaw members of the latter embodiment,

Figure 9 'is an edge elevation of the wrench shown in Figure'6,

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line 1010 of Figure 7 and Serial No. 575,511,

Figure 11 is a detail perspective view of the adjusting element of the latter embodi ment of the invention.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ companion jaw members 10 and 11, each of which is preferably formed from a flat plate and extending at opposite ends of said plates are terminal jaws, the jaws at corresponding ends of the plates mating toprovide a pair of jaws 12 at one end of the wrench and a second pair of jaws 13 at the other end of the wrench. The jaws 12 are somewhat larger than the jaws 13 and formed on the jaw members opposite the jaws 12 thereof are laterally directed lugs 14 at the outer edges of which are beveled shoulders 15. At their base portions the jaws 12 are cut away to define beveled shoulders 16 as well as to also provide abutting ledges 17 and, as will be observed, the shoulders 16 are disposed to receive the shoulders 15 therebeneath, these shoulders coacting for slidably connecting the jaw members at their adjacent ends and rigidly holding the jaws 12 against separation. Similarly, the base portions of the jaws 13 are cut away to define abutting ledges 18 and. as shown in Figure 3, these ledges will cooperate with theledges 17 for spacing the jaw members apart. Formed in the jaw member 10 is a slot 19 and extending through the aw member 11 and freely through said slot is a bolt 20 slidably connecting the jaw membersat their adjacent ends and rigidly holding the jaws 13 against separation. At its end' portions, the side edges of the jaw member 10 are formed to provide relatively offset pairs of parallel obliquely directed shoulders 21. Similarly, the side edges of the jaw member 11, at the end portions thereof, are formed to provide relatively offset pairs of parallel obliquely directed shoulders 22, the pairs of shoulders on each member extending in the same direction but being reversed relative to the shoulders on the other member so as to cross the latter.

Freely confined by the jaw members between the opposed'faces of the same is a longitudinally 'slidable adjusting element 23. As shown in detail in Figure 5, this adjusting element is in the nature of a flat plate which is formed at its side edges with pairs of terminal lugs 24 extending from opthe jaws 13 are formed to engage a square posite side faces of the element to overhang the side edges of the jaw members, the lugs being preferably formed with knurled outer edges. At one side of said element, these lugs provide pairs of oblique parallel shoulders 25 to coa-ct with the pairs of shoulders 21 of the jaw member while at the opposite side of said element the lugs provide pairs of oblique shoulders 26 tocoact with the shoulders 22 of the jaw member 11.

As will now be seen in View of the preceding description, the wrench may be grasped when, by shifting the adjusting element longitudinally toward the jaws 13 of the wrench, the shoulders 25 and 26 of the lugs 24: of said element will coact with the shoulders 21 and22 of the jaw members for shifting said members transversely with res spect to each other and spreading both pairs of jaws. Conversely, by shifting the adjusting element toward the pair'of jaws 12, the jaw members will be shifted transversely in the opposite direction for closing both pairs 7 of jaws. Thus, the wrench may be readily manipulated for adjusting the jaws and, of course, by exerting a forward pressure upon the ad usting element, e1ther palr of aws.

-may be caused to grip the work, it being noted in this connection, that the jaws 12 are formed to engage a hexagonal nut while nut. The wrench is thus well adapted for a wide range of use and, of course, the shaping of the jaws may be varied as desired, it being contemplated that the jaws may be variously formed, as, for instance, to provide an alligator wrench.

In Figures 6 to 11 of the drawings, I have illustrated a slightly different embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment I ems ploy companion jaw members 27 and 28 the inner faces of which rest flat against each other. At corresponding ends of said members is a pair of jaws 29 while at opposite corresponding ends of said members is a somewhat smaller pair of jaws 30, as in the preferred construction. At their inner ends,

the jaws 29 are undercut'to provide beveled shoulders 31 while the adjacent ends of the j aw members are formed with beveled shoulders 32 coacting with said first mentioned shoulders slidably connecting the jaw members at their adjacent ends and rigidly holding the jaws 29 against lateral separation. Formed in the jaw member 27 near its opposite end is a slot 33 and extending through the jaw member 28 is a bolt34 freely ac- I commodated in said slot for slidably connecting the jaw members at the ends thereof oppositethe jaws 29 and holding the jaws against lateral separation. theinner face of the jawinember 27 is a; longitudinally egrtendi-ng recess 3 having server efi et bl quely ir ct d n no Formed in edges of the; members and moyable longituders 36 incline in a direction opposite to the pairs of shoulders 38, intersecting the latter pairs of shoulders and formed through the jaw member 28 between the end portions of the recess 37, is an obliquely directed slot 39. Freely confined by the jaw members between the opposed faces thereof is a longr tudinally slidable adjusting element 'lOly- 7 ing in the recesses and 37 ofsaid members. At its ends, this element is provided with heads 41 fitting in the end portions of said recesses and, as broughtout in Figures 7 and 11, these heads are :formed at their side edges to define pairs of obliquely directed shoulders 42' coact'ing with the shoulders 36 of the jaw member 27 aswell as to also define pairs of obliquely directed shoulders 4:3 coacting with "the shoulders 380i the jaw member 28. Rising from the adjusting element at a point midway between I the heads thereof is a stud 44 extending freely through the slot' 39 in the jaw member 28 and threaded-upon said stud is a clamping nut 45. As will now be understood in viewof the foregoing, the wrench may be'grasped when, by'loosening the nut 45, the adjusting element may be shifted toward the pair of jaws 30 for adjustably spreading both pairsof jaws of the wrench, when the nut may be tightened forlocking the jaws in adjusted position. Similarly, the'adjusting element may be shifted toward the pairof jaws 29 for adjustably closing both pairs of jaws of the wrench, when the nut 45 may be tightened for-locking the jaws in adjusted position. .Thus, as will be seen, this latter embodiment of the-invention also provides a highly efiicient wrench and a device'wherein the jaws, when set, may be readily locked. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: 1. A wrench including companion jaw membersproviding a pair of coacting jaws at opposite ends thereof, and an adjusting element housed between the opposing faces of the jaw members'coacting with the side edges of said members and movable longitudinally thereof for shifting the members transversely and adjusting the jaws.

2. A wrench including companion jaw members providing apair of c'oacting jaws at opposite ends thereof, and an adjusting element housed between the opposing faces of the jaw memberscoactingwith the side dinally thereof for shifting the members transversely and spreading both pairs of jaws simultaneously.

3. A wrench including companion jaw members providin a pair of coacting jaws at opposite ends t ereo-f, and an adjusting element housed between the opposing faces of the jaw members coacting with the side edges of the members andmovable longitudinally thereof for shifting the members transversely and closing both pairs of jaws simultaneously.

4:- A wrench including companion jaw members providing a pair of coacting jaws at opposite ends thereof, and an adjusting element confined between the opposed faces of the members coacting with the side edges thereof and movable longitudinally of said members for shifting the members transversely and adjusting the jaws.

A wrench including companion jaw members providing a pair of coacting jaws at opposite ends thereof and formed with oppositely inclined side edges, and an adjusting element confined between the 0pposed faces of said members coacting with the inclined edges thereof and movable longitudinally of the members for shifting the members transversely and adjusting the aws.

J 6. A wrench including companion jaw members providing a pair of coacting jaws at opposite ends thereof and having oppositely inclined side edges, and an adjusting element lying between the opposed faces of the members and provided with marginal lugs overhanging the inclined edges of the members to coact therewith, said element being movable longitudinally of the members for shifting the members transversely and adjusting the jaws.

7. A wrench including companion jaw members providing a pair of coacting jaws at opposite ends thereof and having their side edges formed to define intersecting pairs of obliquely directed shoulders, and an adjusting element lying between the op posed faces of members and formed with marginal lugs overhanging the side edges of the members providing pairs of obliquely directed shoulders coacting with said first mentioned shoulders, said element being movable longitudinally of the members for shifting the members transversely and adjusting the jaws.

8. A wrench including companion members havin coacting jaws at their ends and constructe adjacent their ends with relatively oflset obliquely disposed pairs of parallel shoulders, the shoulders on each member extending in the same direction but reversed relative to the shoulders on the other member, and an adjusting element housed between the inner opposed faces of the members and provided on its sides with marginal relatively offset shoulders engaging the shoulders on the members, the shoulders on the opposite sides of said element being relatively reversed whereby longitudinal movement of the element will efiect adjustment of the jaws at the ends of the members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

[L. s.] ANDREW S. FISHER. 

